Business cards are important.
Even though they’re “old school” and low-tech, they still work. Those tiny 2×3½-inch pieces of ink and cardstock are valuable for building a big business. They’re used for both outbound marketing (giving them to prospective clients) and inbound marketing (getting cards from them).
This article gives you three tips for using them in the 21st Century:
- Why you should have a business card
- How to design an effective business card
- Use a program to digitally manage your cards
While business cards are important, don’t worry. You don’t have to spend hours of time creating one. In fact, simple is often better.
So, let’s begin with why they are still excellent tools.
Why You Should Have a Business Card
Four years ago, Mary and I saw an ad for a new blueberry farm.
It was one of those farms where you go to pick your own berries and other fruits. When we visited this farm, it hadn’t opened yet. So while we couldn’t pick any, we did get a chance to talk to the owners.
After chatting with them for about an hour, listening to what they did and how they did it, it was my turn. Just before we left, I handed them my business card.
“Your business is amazing and we’ll be back! By the way, I’m a copywriter and should you need my services, here’s my card.”
I didn’t hear from them right away. But three months later, I got a call.
“Steve, I need some press releases written. Can you do that?”
And for 2½ years, I was their go-to press release writer.
Results from business cards aren’t always immediate. But if a potential client asks for your card, make sure you have one. I carry my business card case wherever I go.
You never know when or where opportunity will strike.
How to Design an Effective Business Card
This is easy to do; but there are several schools of thought.
You can design them any way you want. Some designers suggest what amounts to an artwork masterpiece that stands out in a crowd.
I prefer a simpler, minimalist approach. After all, they only need to know who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. Anything more is just window dressing.
The card that helped me make over $2,000 in press releases was quite plain. My current card is even simpler.
Simple works.
You should include your name, your company name, and possibly a tagline. If you don’t have a tagline, a short list of your services will work. Remember, you’re working with a small info card, not a huge web page.
Include your contact information. Here, the more complete it is the better your card works. You should include:
- email address
- website
- office phone
- full address or just the town, state, and country, if necessary
If they can’t get in touch with me, they haven’t tried.
You should have your logo on it if you have one. Or even a headshot.
My cards are professionally printed on heavyweight cardstock, about $80 for 500. The card is white, with a matte finish. The fonts I use are simple. The italics on my tagline are about as fancy as I get.
Simple. Easy to read. And effective.
Now, I’ll tell you why I keep it so simple.
Use a Program to Digitally Manage Your Cards
Business cards are just plain hard to manage, at least for me.
In the past, I kept them in business card wallets. And if they weren’t in a holder, they were stacked all over the place. I’ve knocked hundreds of cards off onto the floor with one fell swoop.
If I put them where I wouldn’t forget … I always forgot. Many became scratch pads that I unthinkingly tossed into the trash when done.
Not anymore!
My software program of choice for organization is Evernote. Its list of features is amazing. I use it for web research, creating (and checking off) list items, saving important emails, and writing memos to myself.
And … capturing business cards in digital format.
I’m not talking just a photograph here. I mean a fully editable and clickable version of the business card. And the contact information can update itself in some cases. More on that in a minute.
The software can be used on all your devices. I have it installed on my desktop computer and my laptop. I have the app installed on my tablet and smartphone.
Everything is synchronized so your information is updated everywhere. And your notes and other items are available on your devices and in your online account. You can actually access your notes from any computer.
To use the business card feature, you’ll need the Premium account. Currently, it’s $50 per year. Here is a list of the prices and features for each level.
You photograph the card with your smartphone. You may need to adjust the angle to remove any glare. If adjustment is needed, the app will tell you.
That, by the way, is why I recommend a matte finish. Your contacts may very well be using Evernote or some other program. Make it easy for them to capture yours. (Glossy finishes can work also.)
Use a contrasting background to lay the card on before photographing.
Once you’ve taken the photo, Evernote gets busy. It converts as much of the text to editable fields as possible. It can recognize phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses.
If it gets an item wrong, you can edit the field to correct it. If you’re using the phone app, you can call, email, or text the contact from there.
Evernote can find your prospect’s location on Google Maps and give you driving directions. But …
One More Bonus Tip
Evernote goes out on the Web and checks LinkedIn.
If the contact has a profile, it will find it. It then gives you a link to their profile so you can view the profile or connect with them. (Amazing!)
You can view it from your smartphone immediately. And if you do it while talking to them, you can say, “I see you have a LinkedIn profile. Would you to connect there?”
If they say yes, send a connect request immediately and they’ll see you do it.
Here’s something else.
I scanned a friend’s card. He said it was an old one and didn’t have his new work position on it. When I scanned it, the photo was identical. However, his position had been updated in the contact information.
Why? He had updated his LinkedIn profile. And Evernote found it.
As I said at the beginning, business cards are old school, low-tech marketing tools. But now, with Evernote and similar programs …
They’ve entered the digital age.
So, what do you think? Would this be a useful tool in your business? Let me know in the comments. And if you have a similar program that you use, share it with us, too.
